READING, WRITING AND

PRESENTING

GROUP 7 [SEVEN]
 W H O N E E D S TO R E A D ?

Reading – It is the process of looking at a series of written symbols and getting meaning from them.

Who needs to read?

Everyone is supposed to read. Either you are young or old. All should read. In order to write, in order to present, we require to read.
It is the basic technique taught in school which allows us to express ourselves.
Why we read? Different types of reading Ways to read
• In order to obtain information
1. Skimming -going through the text to grasp the main
• In order to write idea o E-learning
• To improve your focus 2. Scanning - quickly passing across sentences to get a
o Listening to podcasts
• To improve communication skills particular piece of information o YouTube videos
• It can reduce stress 3. In-depth reading - gaining deeper meaning and o Lecturers
• Allows us to learn new things comprehension of a text

• To gain literacy skills

Short clip: https://youtu.be/0QrbdHhP2Us
In General, reading is not a social activity. It sometimes can be boring. It requires true self discipline to sit down, with a book and
actually learn something. That is why one needs to know how to read right
 READ RIGHT!

What do I know about reading?

How can I tackle my many reading assignments?

Well these are 9 points to consider on how to answer these questions:

1. Understand what being a good reader is all about 4. Converse with the author
• Should take understanding as the main goal Create impressions, relations, arguments and
agreements with the author while reading
• Consider comprehension of content than speed while reading
• Take time while reading difficult parts, re-read and make notes 5. Dissect the text
Split up the txts
2. Take stock of your own reading challenges
Take time to assess honestly what challenges you in the process of 6. Make detailed notes
reading in order to develop specific and personal solutions to enhance • Consider taking headings, phrases and individual
reading. words that relate to the main points.
• Detail main points and supporting evidence.
3. Adjust your reading style
• Reading requires versatility.
• Know what to read fast and what requires slow and considerate
reading.
 READ RIGHT!

7. Put things into context

Reading requires a certain level cultural literacy and core knowledge that puts things into
context and gives clear meaning.

8. Learn the language

Each discipline has its own perspective and its own vocabulary eg. Biology and economics
have different terms.

9. Be inventive!
Best readers invent strategies that best work for them.
 WRITE RIGHT!

Good writing skills are essential in university.

How should the writing process work ideally? It should involve three basic stages:

1.Prewriting – This is the first stage in which you gather ideas and information and plan how to
organize them.
During prewriting stage, you must ask yourself questions like:
• What is the assignment asking me to do?
• Who is my audience and what do I want them to know ?
• Have I done enough research?

2. Writing – This is the second stage where you write, simple as that.
During writing stage, these techniques are useful such as:
• Begin by writing what’s on your mind
• Begin with the words, “The purpose of this paper is…”
 WRITE RIGHT!

3. Rewriting – This is often called “Revision”. It means to re-seeing or re-envisioning your work.
Suggestions for rewriting is:
Leave it alone- Set it aside for a while, and come back and revisit again with a clear mind.
Ask for feedback- Share your writing to your friend or family and ask for their opinion
Proofread and Proofread again- Check for any grammatical or spelling errors.

Building a better paper; [The Seven Cs]

1. Be Clear- writing information so that its easy for everyone to read and understand
2. Be Complete- make sure all important information is written
3. Be Concise- a given idea expressed in few well-chosen words has a lot of impact
4. Be Correct- make sure you have no spelling or grammatical errors
5. Be Compelling- your writing should be interesting, active and vivid
6. Be Courteous- make sure your choice of words are appropriate and respectful
7. Be Convincing- support your views with solid evidence
 IN A MANNER OF SPEAKING

• In some cases, instead of using your research for a paper, your assignment may ask you to use it for a
presentation. This may lead to some of us thinking something along the lines of: I'm not going to be a public
speaker. I'm going to be a surgeon. I'll spend all my time hunched over an unconscious person lying on an
operating table. All I need to know how to do is to hold a scalpel with a steady hand...

• But is that all there is to it? What about the communicating you'll need to do with totally conscious hospital
administrators, other physicians, etc. before and after surgery
• Most people think that public speaking is an episode or a one-time event. You stand up, give a speech and sit
back down.
• But actually, there's really a sense in which all the speaking we do is public. By contrast, what would private
speaking be? Thinking?
• On the job you'll communicate with others every day that is unless you join a profession that requires you to
take a vow of silence then you'll be speaking publicly all the time.
 CAREER OUTLOOK: SPEAK UP!

• Everyone has some kind of job, and communicating on the job will require more skill than you can possibly
imagine right now.

• Speaking will be a part of your professional future. Pure and simple. Some of the best career preparation you
can engage in is to use your time in college to become the best communicator you can be.

• On a day-to-day, minute-by-minute basis, you make choices about how to communicate. Sometimes the choices
are intentionally thought through, and sometimes they are quick, thoughtless reactions. 

• Knowing how to speak up successfully on the job is a tough challenge, but knowing particular "insider
information" can help.
 SPEAKING UP

• The term "speaking up" typically means proposing an idea or making a complaint, even when you're reluctant
to open your mouth. In this case, however, it relates to communicating with your boss. Bosses offer us
guidance, act as mentors, help develop our potential and give us feedback. Some research even notes that the
quality of your relationship with your boss is a key factor in job satisfaction.

• If your boss is indecisive, insecure or a know-it-all, you may have to work harder to build a relationship, but it
can be done and it's your responsibility.

Here are five important points to remember about "speaking up":

1. Pay attention to your boss's communication preferences.

If your boss is a reader, she will prefer a written report with a follow- up meeting later. If she's a listener, she will value a
verbal overview first, followed up by a written report. Does she want a big-picture summary or specific detailed facts? How
often does she want updates? Factors like these can be important to building a productive superior-subordinate relationship.
 SPEAKING UP

2. Bring your solutions to your boss, not problems.

Instead of running to your boss with a problem, bring potential solutions on how to deal with the issue. That kind of approach
demonstrates initiative on your part and shows the boss that you can think for yourself. 
3. Clarify expectations up front.
When you take on a new assignment, discuss all the specifics with your boss. Nailing down specifics up front is much better
than back-tracking later.

4. Learn to "listen in between the lines."

When your boss says something, what does she really mean? For example an "open door policy" can have different definitions
to different bosses. To one it may mean, "Interrupt me anytime you need to" or to another it means, "Generally, I'm open to
questions except when I'm too busy with my own work." If you're not sure what your boss means about something, it's better to
ask.

5. Help your boss recognize your good work.

Bosses are busy; they have their own jobs to do. It's not enough for you to do a good job and hope she notices. You need to bring
the quality of your work to her attention by discussing your projects and their outcomes. Get in front of performance issues so
that your work is good, consistently. That's called "Speaking up!"
 T E N WAY S T O O U S T S P E A K I N G A N X I E T Y

• High anxiety. It's the bane of many speakers. Although doing your best on a writing assignment can certainly
generate stress, giving a presentation is even more personal, a more immediate representation of you and your
work . If you can harness your anxiety and actually look forward to opportunities to speak, you'll build more
confidence and get better at doing it.

• Below are fear-suppressing suggestions that might work for you:

1. Ready, set, go.
Being unprepared will cause your anxiety to skyrocket, and winging it won't help your presentation. Be prepared
from the get go. 
2. Dress for success. 
Confidence in your physical appearance can increase your confidence overall.
3. Ease the tension with humour.
Say something funny that occurs to you at the moment, rather than repeating a joke you read of the internet.
 T E N WAY S T O O U S T S P E A K I N G A N X I E T Y

4. Don't be a mannequin.
Move around, use gestures and look at your audience. Be real and you'll feel more confident.
5. Practice in your presentation room.
Doing so can help you be at ease during your actual speech
6. Find some guinea pigs.
Practice in front of a live audience to prepare yourself for natural distractions like people coughing or sneezing.
7. Channel your energy. 
Harness your fear and turn it into positive energy that increases your dynamism.
8. Visualize success.
When you see yourself giving your presentation in your mind's eye, visualize success, not failure.
9. Remember that mistakes are made to be corrected.
If disaster strikes, remember how you handle it is what's important. Don't worry instead make the most of a few moments of
lightheartedness!
10. If you can't shake it, fake it.
If your nerves get the better of you, fake it. Pretend you're confident. You assume the role and before you know it, your confidence
begins to rise.
 CRAFTING A WINNING PRESENTATION: THE SEVEN P’ S

• What is your primary goal of doing a presentation? Impress a lecturer? get a good grade? Be a good public speaker?

• Knowing your primary goal for doing a presentation will help you in the process of making a successful presentation

• The suggestions that have been made during this presentation apply to both writing and Presenting. To have a winning

presentation, a presenter’s work should be clear, complete, correct, concise, compelling, courteous, and convincing.

• This section contains a few strategies that will assist in crafting a successful presentation.
 1. PURPOSE

• Purpose of the presentation

• It is usually assigned by the instructor, for example group 7 is presenting on reading, writing

and presenting so that the class can brush up on their reading writing skills

• Knowing what is to be accomplished from the presentation will go a long way in ensuring the

success of the presentation; knowing the purpose will help guide you throughout the

presentation process
 2.PEOPLE

• Target audience (who the presentation meant for)

• While making a presentation, one should consider the characteristics of the audience/ listeners and how

the purpose of the presentation might relate to them or be useful to them

• Presentation style will defer from audience to audience for example while presenting your research paper

to a panel of lecturers, the presentation will be formal as opposed to a presentation meant for fellow

student.
 3.PLACE

• The location of your presentation may affect its tone and style

• Scenario : (having a math class outside on the grass and the lecturer is conducting a lecture with no board).

A location like this will yield an unproductive presentation due to factors such as outside distractions, lack

of proper equipment to conduct a successful such as whiteboard.

• One should consider the location of a presentation depending with the formality of the presentation.

• Ex.) During a life skills presentation, an outside location might be the option for such a presentation
 4 . P R E PA R AT IO N

• Preparing for a presentation is similar to writing a paper.

• After getting the topic of the presentation, one should to come up with content to go with the topic.

• The content needed will come from statistics, expert testimonial examples etc. etc.

• Depending on the assignment, you might develop a full written draft of your speech, or a detailed outline, or a

set of PowerPoint slides with talking points. Then, after you know what you’re going to say, you’ll need to

write an attention-grabbing introduction and a memorable conclusion.

 5.PLANNING

While planning for a presentation one should consider factors such as :

1. The resources needed to carry out the presentation

2. is their a need to include visual aid?

3. is their need to back up your presentation on a flash drive incase of anything?

4. is their need to make adjustments to the projector/ learn to use the projector

Planning is critical, lack of planning has unnerved many speakers at the last minute due to them overlooking
details
 6.PER SONALITY

• During your presentation, it is important to demonstrate competence, charisma and character.

• You establish that through eye contact and through the delivery of the presentation.

• It is also important to connect the audience and one can achieve that by relating your topic to some aspect of

your own experience

• During delivery, be yourself, act natural and don’t play a role

 7.PERFOMANCE

While practicing for the presentation delivery it is important to:

1. Rehearse but don’t over rehearse (to prevent your presentation sounding singsong and over rehearsed)

2. Avoid reading/reciting a written draft

3. Practice makes perfect

Aim for a dynamic delivery, both verbally and non verbally, so as to keep the audience engaged

Short clip : https://youtu.be/S5c1susCPAE

 TEN WAYS TO MAKE YOUR PRESENTATION STAND OUT

1.Do consider your audience

A speaker needs to consider the audience at hand. Let’s say your presentation is for teachers in your niece preschool, and then
create a slide deck that is fun and visually lively. However if your presenting to a group of colleagues in your company you
need your presentation to be formal. (Remember that “formal” doesn’t mean for your presentation to be “boring.”) Generally,
more organizations have more rules in what to be contained in your slide deck, and knowing the expectation of your audience is
key.

2.Do ask how you want your audience to respond

Do you want them read or do you want them to listen? They can do both at the same time. Some deadly presentations are those
in which the speaker turns around and flies through slides. The purpose of the slides is to help your audience to understand but
not to act as a “crutch” for you as a speaker to rely on.

3.Do you use your whole brain

When designing PowerPoint presentation think of it as using your logical left hemisphere and your creative right hemisphere,
 TEN WAYS TO MAKE YOUR PRESENTATION STAND OUT
4.Do use color to your advantage

When you’re creating a slide deck choose an attractive color scheme and stick to it. This doesn’t mean that every background on
every slide must be the same. Some speakers create PowerPoint presentations that seem fragmented and messy because the
individual slides are connected aren’t connected visually. Design your slides with polish and professionalism.

5.Do learn some principles of advanced design

PowerPoint has become a ho-hum presentation tool. There are many principles of advanced design that will guide your listeners
visually.

6.Do experiment with PowerPoint alternatives

It is more important to learn as much as you can about PowerPoint since it is likely to play a role in your intended career but you
can try other options. Haiku Deck has options for bulleted slides but emphasizes that less is more. Careful selection is absolutely
essential for this reason don’t select images just because you like them when using Haiku Deck. When you make an unlikely choice
make sure your audience knows that your intention is to be funny, ironic or sarcastic.
 TEN WAYS TO MAKE YOUR PRESENTATION STAND OUT

7.DON’T let your slides steal the show

Always remember that you’re the speaker. Your slides shouldn’t be so fascinating and that the audience ignores you. Any special
effects should be used for sparring to make a point, rather than to jolt your listeners

8.Do include a references slide both for words and images

Some students assume that copying only pertains to writing papers. List your references, either on individual slides (if you use a
direct quote, cite it) or one slide at the end.
9.Do use a remote click
Slide shows require you to click through them. Never put your slide deck on auto play; chances are the slides will advance faster
or slower than you do as a speaker. Both possibilities are awkward.

10.Always show your best work

Visual aids can increase your confidence, but no, they shouldn’t become something to hide behind. Your slides are a representation
of who you are. Always do your best work, and use your slides to support what you are saying in your speech-as an extension of a
speaker
THE END